§ 8-29. Qualifications for practice; restrictions.

(1)

Persons not state-certified, who desire to engage in contracting on a county-wide basis, shall be certified or registered.

(1.5)

Any person who desires to engage in contracting on a county basis shall, as a prerequisite thereto, establish his or her competency and qualifications to be certified/registered pursuant to this code/state law. To establish competency, a person shall pass the appropriate examination (if appropriate) approved by the board/principal office and provide all required documents such as but not limited to insurance, identification, bond and copies of other applicable licenses.

(2)

A contractor shall subcontract all electrical, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal, swimming pool, and air conditioning work unless such contractor holds a state certificate of competency or local certificate of competency in that respective trade category. However:

(a)

A general, building, or residential contractor, except as otherwise provided in this code, shall be responsible for any construction or alteration of a structural component of a building or structure, and any general contractor or underground utility and excavation contractor may perform clearing and grubbing, grading, excavation, and other site work for any project. Any building or residential contractor may perform clearing and grubbing, grading, excavation and other site work, limited to the lot on which any specific building is located.

(b)

A general, building, or residential contractor shall not be required to subcontract the installation or repair made under warranty of wood shingles, wood shakes, or asphalt or fiberglass shingle roofing materials on a new building of his own construction.

(c)

A general contractor shall not be required to subcontract structural swimming pool work.

(d)

A general contractor, on new site development work, site redevelopment work, mobile home parks, and commercial properties, shall not be required to subcontract the construction of the main sanitary sewer collection system, the storm collection system, and the water distribution system, not including the continuation of utility lines from the mains to the buildings.

(e)

A general contractor shall not be required to subcontract the continuation of utility lines from the mains in mobile home parks, and such continuations are to be considered a part of the main sewer collection and main water distribution systems.

(f)

A solar contractor shall not be required to subcontract minor electrical, mechanical, plumbing, or roofing work so long as that work is within the scope of the license held by the solar contractor and where such work exclusively pertains to the installation of residential solar energy equipment.

(g)

No general, building, or residential contractor certified after 1973 shall act as, hold himself out to be, or advertise himself to be a roofing contractor unless he is certified or registered as a roofing contractor.

(3)

Nothing in this code shall be construed to prevent any contractor (excluding specialty contractors) from acting as a prime contractor where the majority of the work to be performed under the contract is within the scope of his license. Nothing in this code shall be construed to prevent any contractor from subcontracting to other licensed contractors that remaining work to be performed under the contract, which is not within the scope of his license and which is part of the project contracted.

(4)

When a state certified contractor desires to engage in contracting in Hernando County, as a prerequisite therefore, he or she shall be required to exhibit and file with the board's principal office a copy of his/her certificate together with applicable insurance. In lieu of the preceding an individual may appear personally with his/her certificate and insurance each time a permit is applied for and picked up.

(Ord. No. 2001-21, § 1, 12-18-01; Ord. No. 2014-22, § 1, 10-28-14)